Working-class comedy will be ditched – Boyle
Frankie Boy le has predicted that the comedy industry will be left to “go to the wall” in Scotland because it represents the voices of workingclass people.
The Glasgow-born comic has predicted that the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland will abandon clubs and performers because “the Scottish establishment is incredibly paternalistic”.
The 48- year-old, one of the most high-profile figures involved in a campaign to prevent the industry from collapsing in the wake of the shutdown of arts venues, said comedy was a “working-class art form”.
But he suggested it would suffer due to an attitude that “we should hear less from such people”.
Kevin Bridges, Fern Brady, Daniel Sloss and Janey Godley are among the other comics who have pleaded for emergency funding to help prevent long-standing businesses going under.
Boyle told his 2.8 million Twitter followers: “One reason Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government will let the Scottish comedy scene go to the wall is that, in Scotland, comedy is a working-class art form. At heart, the Scottish establishment is incredibly paternalistic, and thinks we should hear less from such people.”
Boyle was among the comics to speak out in support of the Stand Comedy Club at the weekend after it warned that the entire industry was “on the brink of close” and at risk of being “forgotten” in the emergency funding packages being distributed by the government and Creative Scotland.
Boy le said :“I started out at the Stand, did an open spot as a student, found it terrifying. They came and found me in my halls of residence and made me give it another go. Be tragic if it goes.”
The Scottish Government set aside £10m for performing arts centres in July, shortly before the UK government announced that Scotland would be getting a £97 million share of a £1.57 billion rescue package for the UK’S cultural sector. More than £74m has still to be allocated.